Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Moa Imperial Stout

Today I'm drinking Moa Imperial Stout brewed by Moa Brewing Company in Marlborough, New Zealand. You may recall how much I enjoyed their Pale Ale just a few days ago. This beer is packaged in a 12.7 ounce green glass bottle, corked and caged. Everything on the label is in dark colors except that they make sure you know it's an Imperial Stout aged in Pinot Noir barrels by printing that in bright yellow. Aging in Pinot Noir barrels is fairly unique, especially for an imperial stout, so let's check this guy out!

Chocolate, licorice and some wine-like aromatic qualities, along with a little fruitiness. Wow, the flavors are really very different. Heavy-duty roasted coffee flavors, to the point of an ashy char, are extremely dominant in the beginning. Toss in a hefty portion of sharply acidic and lightly sour grape and you have quite the contrast. The 10.2% alcohol is definitely there, a third general, with so far zero privates. The alcohol does bring through some cherry fruitiness, but that comes across as cough drop medicinal.

Bitter, rough, acidic with an unpleasant roasted partnership. Nothing I'd expect and in fact lots I didn't. I didn't taste a great Imperial Stout as the base beer and the barrel aging just added another unpleasant layer to this beer. Loved the Pale Ale. This one was ugly!